Brand & Product Communication

Lesson 1:
Communication is a slow process of several steps that are mutually influenced one to each
other.

Communication is always made by at least two human entities, the speaker and the
listener.

Communication is a transmission or exchange of information and/or messages.

For communication to occur, there must be some common thinking between the message
sender and the message receiver.

An understanding of information passes from one person/group to another establishes that

common bond. Reaching this common bond is not easy: many attempts to communicate are
thwarted by obstacles.

Communication is always intentional. Engagement is however the key to communication.

The Communication Process (EXAM)

The communication process involves a sender encoding a message and sending that
information to a receiver, who decodes the message and provides a response through
feedback.
1) Source (sender):
Individual/organization with a message to transmit to other individuals/organizations.
sender selects a combination of words or symbols to be presented orally or in
written/visual forms.
2) Encoding
 Arrangement of words and/or symbols is termed encoding.
Challenge to promotion: develop messages and images that are easily understood by all
target audiences.
3) Message
 The encoded message is conveyed to the receiver through various channels, the methods
by which the message is translated.
Word-of-Mouth Communication: direct or face-to-face communication
Mass Communication: non-personal selling. Sent to many people at once through widely
viewed broadcast, print, digital media.
4) Decoding
 Receiver must decode the message or transform it back into thought. This step forces the
receiver to interpret what he believes the sender wanted the receiver to know and is
dependent upon the receiver’s frame of reference, or past experiences. Attitudes, values,
perceptions, cultural background are among the characteristics that help the receiver
understand or misinterpret the message.
5) Source (receiver)

Feedback = the sender will know if the intent of the message has been understood.
Response may come in many forms, from simple recognition in a face-to-face interaction to

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the purchase of a product through a toll-free number advertised in a magazine or a sudden
increase in sales after a billboard sign is put up. Feedback can close the loop of
communication, letting the source know whether or not the message has been accurately
sent, decoded, acted upon.

Exchange of information is not smooth: it is impossible to communicate and to be

understood completely.
- Encoding the message: designing the message in the best possible way to be
understood
- Decoding: understand what the person is talking about

Noise = any outside factor that may interfere with the reception of the information or lead
to some distortion of the message. Ex. technical difficulties experiences while broadcasting a
television program. Part of the message may be eliminated or changed through signal
distortion.
Miscommunication = may take place because of failure to understand the symbols
presented in advertisement.

Communication Channels
Channels of communication are not necessarily meant as communication tools. We can
communicate throughout any company strategy.
Examples:
- Stores, windows, interior decoration, a new or renovated building, popup
(distribution)
- Fair pavilion or booth, corporate museum, brand experience (physical service)
- Website, application, metaverse platform, digital product (digital service)
- New product itself, collaboration, capsule collection, extension (product)

Silence as communication
It is impossible not to communicate. Silence is a very meaningful although extreme
communication form.

Definition of communication: means used by an organization

- To inform
- To convince
Consumers about the brands, products and services it sells.
- Monologue (boring): only one person involved
- Conversation (responsive): two people

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 - Dialogue (dialogue): multiple people
Goals for Communication (EXAM)
The problem is that the consumer today does not want to necessarily listen.
Reasons? Too many messages, wrong approach, lack of creativity, rejection of adv…
Goals for every communication strategy:
- Be noticed: attract attention of potential customers
- Be listened
- Be considered: being in the memory of the customers
- Be remembered
- Create a long-term connection (customers as brand ambassadors and promoters)
Brands want to become friend of yours, they are there to support you.
From Positioning to Communication
Positioning = builds the offer in the mind of the targeted consumer in a differentiated and
unique way
Communication = tells the consumer why they should buy your brand in preference to
others

Promotion vs Communication
Promotion Mix – Marketing Communication Methods
4Ps: Product, price, place, product, promotion.
Promotion:
Advertising, public relations, sales promotion, advertising, personal selling, digital
marketing, direct marketing, guerilla marketing…

Surprise Effects
Fundamental to capture the attention of the audience.

Brand vs Product
Brand = is something mostly immaterial. Every brand is a company, but not every company
is a brand. Brands are built through consumer perceptions, expectations, and experiences
with all products or services under a brand umbrella.
Product = made by a company and can be purchased by a consumer in exchange for money.

Communication vs Marketing
Marketing Definition: “the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to
satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and
desires. It defines, measures and quantifies the size of the identified market and the profit
potential. It pinpoints which segments the company is capable of serving best and it designs
and promotes the appropriate products and services”. The marketing focus remains the
market, its verbal root.

Communication: not necessarily conceived for generating a profit instead.

Promotion = always aimed to be profit-generator. Promotion is one of the marketing 4Ps.
Communication = with much wider scope; not only profit. Communication is more
transversal, and it has much more to do with branding strategy.

Connection between Communication and Marketing

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A big aspect of marketing is listening and understanding those who you are talking to, in
order to adapt your message, or your product (service).
Potential ways to sell more (marketing):
- Sell more to the same audience
- Sell differently to the same audience
- Sell to a broader audience

3 types of Coherence:
1) Coherence with the market
Every market is different and needs to be faced in a very responsive and custom way.
Consequently, the communication strategy must adapt itself to each market (district, city,
region, country, content…) due to the specific local identities they must be respected and
duly considered.
Ex. of custom elements in communication:
- Written/spoken language
- Body language
- Local SM channels

2) Coherence with the brand

The brand is like a person. You like it, you hate it, you love it, you desire it, you avoid it. The
brand has its own person-ality.
The brand is like a table with 4 legs: Product, Distribution, Service, Communication

3) Coherence among the 4Ps

The secret of marketing is the consistency: the strategy must be holistic.
For a product communication, the full alignment of attributes between product and all other
strategies is a fundamental asset for the content creation.
For a brand communication, the alignment with all other brand strategies strengthens the
consistency of the message.

Integrated marketing communications – content alignment

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) = a concept of marketing communications
planning that recognized the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the
strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines, for example, general advertising,
direct response, sales promotion, and public relations, and combines these disciplines to
provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communications impact.

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Synergy between the different communication mix tools.

It is a type of marketing in which a company’s salespeople, advertising, website…all give the

same messages about its products.
Brand content = provide useful content to the audience that will engage them with the
brand.

Standard vs Adaptation
Global = base communication on cultural similarities.
Rely on a high degree of homogeneity both within a culture and between cultures.
Multinational (Glocal) = recognize cross-cultural differences.
Adapt the communication strategy to each foreign market.
Customization (Local) = recognize the differences in consumers both within and between
cultures.
Communication on an individualized basis.

International Communication Issues

Communication is a key element of branding with strong impact on marketing mix.
- Large arrays of tools and media supports. Based on language (verbal and non-
verbal).
Strong dependence on the local culture
- Legal and media environments differ per country
Different legal frameworks
Diverse media availability and consumption habits

Globalization: companies, technology, consumption, customers, brands.

Local Expressions: technological, economic, legal evolutions, local cultures

Holistic Perspective – hints about Positioning

(Brand) Positioning = interaction among all marketing mix elements.
The way that a company wants customers to think about a product in relation to
competitors’ products. The more it matches with the way that customers think about, the
better the positioning strategy is.
This because once a customer notices a brand/product/service and he feels a first
impression, it is extremely hard to change his mind later on. Mistakes are rarely forgiven in
communication.
Brand Communication vs Product Communication
It is the result of the primary question: “what to communicate?”
The product (physical vs digital, material vs immaterial, product vs service…) needs a very
different approach in order to be communicated (explained, promoted, magnified,
celebrated, justified, sold…) than a brand, that by definition cannot be described in the very
same way (storytelling, DNA…).

Moreover, the product is actually a main pillar of the whole brand ground (together with the
distribution, service, communication itself): it means that there are mutual interactions
among these four factors. The brand communication cannot leave aside the product, and
mutually the product cannot be communicated regardless of its brand.

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Primary questions: a successful brand answers to these 7 key questions about the
organization
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- How do you do it?
- Why do you do it?
- Who needs to know?
- How will they find out?
- Why should they care?

Use Paradigm-Breaking Language

Why? Word of childhood. We need to question underlying assumptions about a product or
a brand
What? Phrase of permission, speculation, imagination
Who? In an age of narrowly defined target customers, it is remarkable to see who best
represents millions of consumers who are willing to spend money on a product or a brand.

Communication Planning
Why – Marketing objectives
Who – Target definition
What – Message Decisions
How – Communication Mix

1) Why? (reasons to communicate)

- Create brand awareness
- Create brand preference
- Create brand loyalty
- Improve brand image

2) To whom? (target definition)

Possible stakeholders:
- Consumers
- Non-buyers
- Influencers

Stakeholders: an individual, group, organization that is impacted by the outcome of a

project or a business venture. Stakeholders have an interest in the success of the project
and can be within or outside the organization that is sponsoring the project.
Stakeholders are important because they can have a positive or negative influence on the
project with their decisions. There are also critical or key stakeholders, whose support is
needed for the project to exist.
Internal stakeholders: employees, managers, owners
External stakeholders: suppliers, society, government, creditors, shareholders, customers

3) To which effect? (goal settings)

Communication goals are specific targets for communicating information, knowledge and
emotion. Examples of communication goals for individuals might include engaging others

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more effectively, keeping emotions under control, or becoming more persuasive when
communicating.
Communication is always goal oriented. Effective brand and product communication goals
play a significant role in implementing business strategies and should be specified and
possibly measurable.
Communication:
- To change behavior
- To get action
- To ensure understanding
- To persuade
- To get & give information

4) How much? (budget settings)

The communications budget will depend on:
- The total budget of your company (how much money they are willing to spend on
marketing)
- The channels you will use to reach your audience (Facebook ads will be cheaper than
TV ads)
- The type of content you need to create (a blog will be cheaper than a video)

5) What? (message creation)

Content creation is the process of generating topic ideas that appeal to your buyer persona,
creating written or visual content around those ideas, and making that information
accessible to your audience as a blog, video, infographic, or other content formats.
When you create content, you are providing free and useful information to your audience,
attracting potential customers to your website, and retaining existing customers through
quality engagement.

Content Creation Process: SEO research, ideation, writing/creating, editing, uploading,

publishing, promoting

6) How? (media strategy) Communication Mix (EXAM)

Unidirectional: Brand towards consumer
- Advertising
- Sponsorship
- Sales promotion
Interactive: Brand towards consumer, and consumer towards brand
- Direct marketing
- E-marketing
- Personal selling

Message decisions – Rational vs Emotional

Message content:
what to say?
- Depends on your marketing objectives and brand positioning
- Depends on local constraints
Message style (execution):

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how to say it?
- Brand image, values
- Depends on target profile (education, role in purchasing process)
- Local consumer culture

Communication Planning
Why? Situation analysismarketing objectives
Who? Target definition
To which effect? Setting of communication objectives
How much? Budget setting
What? Message decisions
How? Communication mix
Implementation
Evaluation of results

Setting Communication Objectives

Marketing Objectives
- Increase sales
- Increase market share
- Launch new products
- Gain new consumers
- React to competition move
Communication Objectives
- Create brand awareness
- Inform/educate about (new) product
- Create brand preference
- Create brand loyalty
- Improve brand image

Message Decisions
Rational messages:
- Key product features
- Competitive advantage
- Consumer benefits
Emotional messages:
- Consumer experience
- Brand image

Lesson 2
Media = has to be a trustworthy source of information, that requires the reporters and
editors reporting for that publication be trained in journalism so they can properly and fairly
relay the information to the public.
Media is expected by the public to deliver meaningful information that is based on facts;
most works of literature, works of fiction, therefore, do not qualify as media.
Media should offer a way for the public to react to its reporting (complaints and
compliments).

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Media = mass communication organizations whose function is to provide information or
entertainment to an audience of subscribers, viewers, or readers while furnishing
advertisers an environment to reach the audience with print, broadcast, and/or digital
media.

The singular form of the word, medium, is used to describe a particular communication
category such as newspapers, magazine, television show, or radio program used to
communicate an advertising message.

Media by Medium
1) Print media: newspapers, magazines, journals, direct mail, billboards, or any two-
dimensional print design. A print publication typically has a publication term
(published daily, monthly, quarterly, annually), a coverage area (nationwide, region,
state, city) and an audience market (women, men, entrepreneurs…)
2) Broadcast media: television, radio, some forms of electronic technology. This media
airs everyday, therefore they have a daily publication term. Broadcast media
typically targets a much wider spectrum of audiences than print publications.
3) Digital media: can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and
preserved on a digital electronic device. Digital defines as any data represented by a
series of digits, and media refers to methods of broadcasting or communicating this
information. Ex. software, digital images, digital video, video games, web pages and
websites, social media, digital data and databases, digital audio like MP3, electronic
documents and electronic books.
It is more difficult to define media on the web. The ease of access to publication on the
internet has made it possible for practically every person with a computer to broadcast his
opinion about anything.

Media by Type
1) News media: reporting on local and world news and events that have impact on the
community at large. As can be deduced from the category name, the news media is
interested first and foremost in information that is new. Ex. CBS, CNN, Fox…
2) General interest media: focusing on providing the reader with information and news
on specific topics. A prime vehicle for company’s PR initiatives aimed at consumers
because this media’s main audience is end users. Ex. Vogue, Cosmopolitan…
3) Trade media: publications for working professionals, focused on a specific industry
(sport, fashion…)
4) Owned media: published by a company that actively participates in the business
(likely to be biased)

Traditional vs New School Media

When marketing and communication were codified as disciplines, internet did not exist.
Nowadays communication must be digital, or it is not. Consequently, we can notice an
endless creation of new digital media they are impacting the communication strategy and
they can provide fresh vitality to a brand effort.
Rejuvenation remains the primary goal for each communication strategy. Indeed, we have
to remember that the old school media (radio, TV, billboards, catalogues…) are still

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extremely relevant despite the society digitalization and the new generations mindset. One
third of advertising budget still goes to old school media.

1) Printed Media
Broadly, any written or pictorial form of communication produced mechanically or
electronically using printing, photocopying, or digital methods from which multiple copies
can be made through automated processes.
Not hand-written or hand-typed: ex. books, circulars, journals, memos, magazines,
newspapers…

Newspapers: used to be the primary advertising medium used by retailers and the
medium with the highest share of advertising expenditures worldwide. Manufacturers and
designers rarely use local or regional newspapers. Brands have national advertising goals,
placing advertisements in widely distributed newspapers with broad circulation (not local
ones).
Nowadays, readers are less on printed newspaper, and they are declining also on digital
newspaper. This is a huge problem for editors, because the main source of entrance is not
given by the newspaper purchase (very low cost) but the advertisement contributors (very
expensive).
Pros and Cons of Newspapers for Advertising
PRO: CONTRA:
- Immediacy - short shelf life
- Local emphasis - reproduction problems (color…)
- Flexible production - clutter
- Short closing times - small-shared audience
- Geographical target market flexibility - high cost of reaching national audience
- Credibility - inability to show products true-to-life
- Reseller support

Magazines: still today for specific product classes, magazines are amazing channels of
communication, and extremely effective (ex. sport equipment, fashion…) when the
communication message is well included within the magazine contents, and not perceived
as boring advertisement. Customer familiar with national or global brands are likely to
translate that increased awareness into sales for prestige-oriented products promoted on
magazines.
Magazines may be published on a weekly, bi-monthly, quarterly basis. Purchase price and
perceived strength of the advertising are related to the frequency of the publication.
Specialized Features (EXAM)
Bleed Pages = technical feature that allows the dark or colored background to extend to the
edge of the page. It is said to “bleed off” the page. Although many magazines offer this
option, it costs the advertiser 10-15% more to print these types of pages. Bleeds offer
greater flexibility for advertising expressions, with a slightly larger printing area, and a more
dramatic effect.

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Cover Position = offers a more desirable position for an advertising message. Publishers are
willing to sell the first page inside the magazine (second cover), the inside back cover (third
cover) and the back cover (fourth cover) for a premium.
Back cover = highest price, considered to be a prime location for advertising.
Gatefold = special kind of insert, created by extra-long paper. The sides are folded into the
center to match the size of the other pages. Used to present an oversized ad.
Gatefolds are dramatic methods of magazine advertising that are sold at a substantial
premium. Not all magazines provide gatefolds.
Pros and Cons of Magazines for Advertising
PRO: CONTRA:
- Selective audience - inability to show products true-to-life
- Geographical editions - very expensive
- High-quality reproduction - long lead time
- Long-life and pass along audience - editorial and advertising conflicts
- Controlled circulation and receptivity - less readers
- Collection - fast page scrolling
- Integration with digital media

Graphic Tips (EXAM)

1) Advertising on the right page is more effective (the way we read, from left to right or
vice versa)
2) Logos and brand names are more visible when on the edge (possibly right on the
right page)
3) The most important product has to be close to the thumb (more visible)
4) Color contrasts can emphasize the perception
5) Design something to be noticed
6) (Even better) design something to be remembered

Copy EXAM
The verbal component of a print advertisement is called the copy.
Copy = all the words used to articulate the advertiser’s message. In print advertising, this is
all the reading material in the ad: headline, sub-headlines, body copy, advertiser’s slogan.
Each of these segments contributes to clarifying what the advertiser wants the customer to
know.
Headline
In print ads, the headline is the boldest statement.
The headline is written taking into consideration what would have to be said if only one or
two lines of space were available for the message (main message in few words: emphasis on
primary selling point/main appeal of merchandise). It is also common to include the name of
the brand, manufacturer, or retailer in the headline.
Most common types of headlines:
- Advice

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 - Command
- Curiosity
- News
- Claim
- Product/Company name
- Prospect selection

Sub-Headlines and Body Copy

Sub-Headlines = secondary statements that are used when the primary headline needs
further clarification or there is a secondary appeal or selling point.
Body Copy = additional copy created to support and reinforce the headline. Body copy
offers evidence or proof of claims, provides sub-appeals to the main appeal, or asks the
consumer to take action.

Visual Contents
Advertising depends heavily upon the use of visual arts to produce aesthetically pleasing
and creative advertisements.
Design elements: color, shape, texture, line
Design principles: standards for visually organizing all design elements into a unified
composition.
Organization of the different design elements and principles is used to achieve an
integrated, tasteful end product.

Layout
Arrangement of the physical elements of art, copy, and white space within the boundaries
of the print advertisement. Layout assists art and copy to complete the selling job more
effectively (layout is the blueprint).

2) Broadcasted Media
Broadcasted media = inclusion of different mediums that are used for communicating,
transmitting, and broadcasting to the public or masses. Ex. audio-visual materials, electronic
or electro-magnetic mediums.Examples: television news, audio production, video, print
media production, television and radio programs…
Television: (EXAM) TV is not as widely used as for example 20 years ago. Broadcast
medium in which sight is combined with sound and motion to provide the most realistic
reproduction in life. It is this combination of visual images with sound that attracts and holds
the attention of the viewer. TV time is divided into dayparts:
- Morning: 7-9am
- Daytime: 9-4:30pm
- Early fringe: 4:30-7:30pm
- Prime time access: 7:30-8pm
- Prime time: 8-11pm
- Late fringe: 11-1am

Pros and Cons of Television for Advertising:

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PROS: CONTRA:
- Large audience - television advertising avoidance
- Versatility and flexibility - very expensive
- High-quality reproduction - long response time
- Ability to show products true to life - limited amount of broadcast time

Radio: is very much loved everywhere in the world, even though it seems like a very old
school media. How can advertisers translate strong visual images from TV to radio? The
mind works by the ear: thinking is a process of manipulating sounds rather than images,
even when pictures or photographs are involved. “You see what you hear, not what the eye
tells you it has seen”. Studies show that the ear works much faster than the eye, making
radio an ideal medium for advertisers.
Pros and Cons of Radio for Advertising:
PROS: CONTRA:
- Specific audience - inability to deliver a visual image
- Nearly universal medium - lack of listener attention
- High degree of frequency - non retrievable format
- Timing is more immediate
- Cost-effective
- Least ignored advertising medium
- Audience consistency

Rating & Share (EXAM)

They are both tools used by media measurement services to provide an evaluation.
Ratings = Audience size, an estimate of the total of homes reached expressed as a % of the
total population. Ratings are established by an independent research service.
Rating = Rating nr of TV household in France tuned into a specific program/total
householder in France
Share = size of an audience for any given time period. This figure considers variation in the
number of sets in use and the total size of the potential audience, since it only considers the
households that have their televisions turned on. It is expressed in terms of a %, as follows:
Share = nr of TV household tuned into a program/nr of households using TV at that
time*100
Share is more important than ratings.

3) Digital Media
Digital media are all online applications, networks, blogs, websites, and other media meant
for communicating brand or product messaging, conducting marketing, public relations, and
lead generation.
Digital media are distinctive for their networking approach and mostly for the content
creation sharing: they allow people to reach and interact with one another through
interconnected networks. Digital media allows for organic dialogue and activity to happen
directly between individuals, unmediated by a company. Companies can (and should) listen,
learn, and find ways to participate authentically.
Digital media communication focuses on 3 primary objectives:
- Creating buzz: developing and publishing messages that is disseminated via user-to-
user contact

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 - Fostering community: building ways for fans to engage with one another about a
shared interest in a brand, product or service
- Facilitating two-way communication: online conversations are not controlled by the
organizations. Instead, social media promotes and encourages user participation,
feedback, dialogue

Examples of digital media: blogs, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+,
Pinterest, LinkedIn.
Consumers become message senders.

Digital Ecosystem = the cluster of digital channels that every brand decides to implement in
order to structure its whole communication strategy.

E-Public Relations
E-Press Relations:
- E-press releases
- Dedicated pages on corporate websites
- Web seminars, e-conferences
- Partnerships
- Social media (shared option)
- Content or ad exchange
- Video seeding

Media Options Overview

Paid Media: purchased audiences
- Online advertising
- Affiliate marketing & price comparison websites
- Emailing on purchased database
Owned Media: channels controlled by the brand
- Corporate websites, brand websites and microsites
- Social media
- Mobile applications
Earned Media: audiences generated by discussions and leaders
- Blogs, forums, consumers’ opinions, videos on YouTube
- Discussions on the brand on social media

Advertising
Any PAID form of non-personal presentation of ideas, goods, or services in the mass media.
Clearly identified sender. The paid concept of advertising indicates that the sponsoring
agency must purchase either space in the print media or time in the electronic and digital
media.
No immediate feedback. Before developing and sending an advertising message, the sender
must consider how the public will comprehend and react to the message.
ADV: internet, radio, cinema, outdoor, print, TV

Forced Adaptations – Regulations

- Ad content and execution: true claims, national respect

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 - Ad type: comparative advertising
- Ad targets: protection of vulnerable targets: children, minorities
- Language: offensive wordings, local language
- Type of products advertised
- Access to media: restrictions to certain sectors
- Strong variations per country

Misalignment of Adaptations
Discrepancy between:
- Product adaptation
- Communication standardization
Advertising & Rules
Comparative advertising is banned or regulated in many countries: example of McDonalds
showing Burger King logo in their ad.

Comparative Advertisement
Comparative advertising = marketing strategy in which a company’s product or service is
presented as superior when compared to a competitor. Typically, the competing product is
shown in a disparaging light. Rules can differ across media.

Advertising and the Creative Process

Advertising is very expensive.
Advertising can be effective when it is done right, when it is done creatively, and when it is
presented in the right media. But it depends on what you want to get out of it.
The most expensive commercial is “Google’s Loretta and Amazon’s Before Alexa Super Bowl
2020 ads.

Branding Appeals
Motivations = reasons why consumers buy, drives within people that stimulate wants and
needs. Consumers have individual motivations, but patterns of motivation may develop
within groups. Based upon the motivations of target consumer groups, the advertiser
develops appeals to meet those motivations. In simple terms, appeals are the reasons to
buy given by the advertiser.

Strategy Development
Advertising professionals work under to distinct and separate models of strategic
development:
- Anglo-American approach: strategic path resembles advertising practiced in the US.
Adherents practice social survey and focus group research that has come to inform US
strategic thinking (client driven).
- French approach: strategic path is based in semiotics/linguistics of the French culture
Intimate knowledge of French culture and reliance on intuition and experience are
hallmarks. “Je me sens” meaning “I sense it” or “It needs no explanation”.

Seduction: The French verb “seduire” does not always carry the same connotation as the
English word “seduce”. It commonly means to tempt, to fascinate, to attract, to charm or to

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entice. A good French advertisement is one that tempts the consumer with its offering: a
fashionable product may be referred to as a seduction.
Spectacle/Show: incorporates the meaning of sight, attraction, show, play, story with high
production values. A good French advertisement is one that has the drama, entertainment
value, production values, and excitement of the theatre.
Love: outsiders sometimes characterize the French as being obsessed with sex, romance,
innuendo. But these characteristics are integral part of French culture and as such form an
integral part of French advertising. *romantic notions should be expressed whenever
possible, *advertising should not focus only on product functions
Humor: French advertising may be considered shocking to Americans, but to the French
humor with language is necessary, expressed in playful use of words or amusing
associations.

Perceptions of US consumers:
Because the French practitioners perceived consumers to be somewhat knowledgeable
about advertising, they viewed US advertising as largely inappropriate for the French
market. Compared to French advertising, US advertising were considered: boring,
unoriginal, stupid, silly, predictable, laughable, untruthful, horrible, lacking big ideas. US
executions were perceived as lasting too long and being too direct.

Suggestions for French Market:

1) Advertisers should rarely, if ever, use an information approach and should not focus
on the product. A creative strategy that blends the ideas of seduction, show, love,
humor, has a much greater chance of succeeding in a global market
2) The tone should not be direct. “soft sell” outsells “hard sell”
3) The sense of aesthetics leads to artistic expectations about the design of advertising.
Advertisers should pay careful attention to the ad’s image
4) If television is part of the media mix, advertisers should think in terms of messages
that can be conveyed in very short time periods. The television commercial has
dropped from 30 to 20 seconds and many advertisers are experimenting wih 5 and 3
second commercial
5) Given a choice, French advertising professionals rely more heavily on intuition and
experience for developing strategy than on American-style research

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

When the advertiser concentrates on a single main appeal, that appeal is frequently
referred to as the unique selling proposition or USP. A USP stresses the most important
reason for a consumer to prefer this product to all others.
Rosser Reeves (former chair of Ted Bates agency) noted 3 characteristics of USP’s:
- Each advertisement must make a proposition to the consumer. Ex. advertisement
must say to each reader: “buy this product and you will get this benefit”
- Proposition must be one that the competition does not or cannot offer. It must have
unique characteristics in the brand or claim
- Proposition must be strong enough to move mass consumers; that is, pull new
consumers to the advertiser’s brand

Characteristics of Successful Advertising

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 1) Consistency with marketing strategy:
A well-coordinated marketing communication strategy should be developed and serves as a
plan, integrating advertising into the package. Thus, the advertising is compatible with all
the other elements of a correlated communication program
2) Obvious intention:
The reader or viewer of an ad should be left with a lasting impression of the product or
service being promoted. The main message or idea should be apparent to the audience
3) Evident objective:
Is the advertisement customer or trade oriented? Is the purpose of the advertisement to
product merchandise sales or to develop an institutional image? What is the advertiser
trying to communicate? If the objective of the advertisement is difficult to identify, the ad
cannot be very productive
4) Consistent identity:
By using a consistent visual or audio style throughout various advertisements, the sponsor’s
ads can immediately be recognized. The layout, graphics, artistic style, copy, typography,
sound effects, or video effects contribute to an identifiable image
5) Continuity:
The advertisements build upon each other. With a theme or consistent graphics program
each advertisement benefits from prior ads and builds for the next ads.
6) Good relationships between visual and verbal elements:
In a print ad the visual elements include the artistic elements, and the verbal element is the
copy. Advertising copy can be enhanced by appropriate visual stimulus. In a TV commercial
the spoken words or music reinforces the video.
7) Targeting the consumer’s point of view:
The needs, wants, values of the consumer take precedence over those characteristics of the
advertiser. The consumer purchases products based upon his perceptions
8) Simplicity:
Although repetition and superfluous language have entered the advertising world, today’s
sophisticated consumers appreciate simple, concise and direct language and advertising
production styles
9) Creativity secondary to advertising strategy:
Creativity enables the advertiser to bring humor and/or charming themes int the
advertisement. When consumers remember the ad for its creativity and cannot remember
the product, it is ineffective.
10) Delivery of what it says it can:
Good advertising never promises more than it can deliver. Consumers learn very quickly
when they have been deceived or mislead, causing resentment towards the advertiser.
These customers will not trust or continue to purchase from such an unethical advertiser.

Sponsoring
Any PAID (in cash or nature) association with an entity promoting a cause, project, person…

Events
Corporate or brand events targeting the general public or influencers in order to generate
media coverage.
Tools: events, parties, celebrations, “street marketing”, challenges (sports), concept stores

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Advantages: promoting a positive brand image, increasing brand awareness, reaching a
wider audience, targeting a specific demographic, enhancing customer experience.

Lesson 3
Verbal Communication:
Payoff and Claim = the verbal message of the brand payoff has become a brand “business
card”, an introduction that has a lot to do with the already mentioned “right of pre-
emption”. Some brands are literally reusing their payoffs in the original languages it has
been invented for. Other brands want to have a responsive redesign up to the different
country lifestyle.

Glocal = local translation of the same claim

Global = very same phrase and logo
Payoff/Tagline = short phrase that captures a company’s brand essence, personality, and
positioning, and distinguishes the company from its competitors.
Payoffs/taglines historically have had much shorter lifespans than logotypes.
Nevertheless, the best payoffs/taglines have a long life and transcend marketplace and
lifestyle changes. They are meaningful and memorable, and they require frequent and
consistent use.

Essential Characteristics:
- Short
- Differentiated from its competitors
- Unique
- Captures the brand essence and positioning
- Easy to pronounce and remember
- No negative connotations
- Displayed in a small font
- Can be protected and trademarked
- Evokes an emotional response

1) Descriptive
Describes the service or product.
Ex. Philips: Sense and simplicity, Target: Expect more. Pay less.
2) Imperative
Commands action and often starts with a verb.
Ex. Apple: Think different, Nike: Just do it.
3) Superlative
Positions the company as best in class.
Ex. DeBeers: A diamond is forever, BMW: The ultimate driving machine
4) Specific
Reveals the business category.
Ex. Volkswagen: Das Auto
5) Provocative
Thought-provoking – sometimes it is a question

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Ex. Nespresso: what else?

The Role of Culture

Why study culture for communication?
Dealing with various countries involves dealing with a high cultural diversity.
The major role of culture:
Culture is a major factor influencing consumer behavior.
Culture largely shapes the macro environment (political, legal, economic, technological…)
Culture = accumulation of values, norms, rituals, symbols and beliefs that are learned and
shared by a group of people, then transmitted from generation to generation.
Culture corresponds to a set of references.
Culture is:
- What is commonly shared by a specific nationality/community
- The ideas, customers, social behavior of particular people/society
- Synonym to collective mindset, society, lifestyle
Cultural Environment – the Bricks
Languages = verbal, non-verbal
Institutions = collective organization modes: family, education, corporations, government,
religion, justice…
Values = general concepts describing desired behaviors or goals in life
Norms = do’s and dont’s
Rituals = explicit behavioral types (customers, traditions in all human activities such as food,
purchasing, housing, clothing)

3 Fundamental Elements of Culture:

- Values: abstract ideas about the good, the right, the desirable. They are usually very
symbolic, internalized.
- Norms: social rules and guidelines that determine appropriate behavior in specific
situations
- Rituals: patterns of behavior and interaction that are learned and repeated

Values - Characteristics of Cultural Values

Culture is always a collective phenomenon because at least partly shared with people who
live in the same environment, which is where it was learnt.
- Cultural values are learnt (imitative, formal, technical)
- Cultural values are guide to behavior
- Cultural values are both permanent and dynamic
- Cultural values are widely held
Cultural values allow group cohesion
- Values are enduring beliefs that a given behavior or outcome is desirable or good
learnt from the early childhood: deeply rooted in individuals, such as food habits
- Values serve as standards that guide our behavior across situations and overtime
environment protection: recycling, sorting, reducing waste
healthy lifestyle: exercising, healthy eating, nutrition learning
freedom: reject government’s regulations
Our total set of values and their hierarchy constitute our values system.
Language and Communication

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Verbal – fundamental role of language in:
- Gathering information
- Accessing local society
difference between official and local language
- Interpreting the context
- Communicating:
business communication
branded communication (advertising)

Non-Verbal
Non-Verbal Communication: time, space, symbols, friendship, agreements, things, etiquette.

Norms
Norms are (unwritten) do’s and dont’s: there are things you can and things you cannot do,
depending on culture.
Global Nature of Communication
The communication process in the global marketplace has challenges beyond normal
communication problems due to cultural experiences and language differences.
To be successful, promotional efforts must take into consideration local customs, historical
perspectives, and language. The display of certain body parts is considered offensive to
some ethnic groups.

Rituals
Set of multiple, symbolic behaviors that occurs in a fixed sequence and is repeated
periodically (gift giving rituals, rites of passage). Celebrations also incorporate traditions
from other cultures.

Levels of Culture
- National culture
- Sub-Culture
- Global/International Culture

National Culture
Relies on the concept of within-country homogeneity and between-country heterogeneity.
Nations share a common history, common social institutions, common laws and legal
system, common language.
Culture is both a cause and an effect of political, economic, and social factors that vary
across national borders, BUT culture can also vary significantly within national borders.

Brand Image and Country of Origin

“Country of Origin” can be an important part of brand image for certain products
Effects due to origin of a product/brand: Some countries are associated with some
qualities/properties: Switzerland, France, Germany, Japan. These qualities extend to the
product/brand known to come from these countries. They become part of a brand image,
and contribute to brand equity. Ex. Made in Italy, Germany…
Promoting Excellences, not Countries

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In 2011 Miuccia Prada dedicated a collection to her grandfather, Mario. The line celebrated
his great passion for the trips he has made around the world, always looking for the right
inspiration for his collections. The limited edition has been called “made in”.

Core Cultural Values or Stereotypes?

American Culture: achievement and success, progress, material comfort, individualism,
freedom, youthfulness
German Culture: attention to detail, privacy, orderliness, cleanliness, realism, hard work
French Culture: style and elegance, intellect and knowledge, creativity, eloquence,
politeness, good manners, romanticism

1) National Cultures
Communication Implications
- Understand local consumer behavior
- Adapt products and/or educate consumers
- Test/validate/work with local staff
Cultural Risks
- Product failure
- Misinterpretation
- Boycott
- Rejection by consumers
2) Global Culture
Emergence of New Global Cultures
- Free flow of information across borders thanks to the new communication
technologies (internet, satellite TV, 4G)
- English as a common language
- Diffusion and implementation of global brands
- Products of universal appeals
- Consumers sharing the “modern cult” throughout the world (youngsters,
cosmopolitan elite, business travelers)

Global Campaigns
- Same message and same execution worldwide
- No dialogues, specific shots integrated for language adaptations

3) Subcultures and Highly Local Cultures

Resistance of Local Cultures
- High cultural diversity throughout the world
- Persistence of differences in urbanization, education levels, religions and
development stages
- Will to preserve local cultures
- Eventual rejection of the materialist culture

Subcultures
- Age, Religion, Race, Nationality, Gender, Sexual orientation, Family type, Occupation,
Geographic region
Ethnic and Racial Subcultures

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 - Are often high-context cultures (strong oral traditions)
- Subject to powerful stereotypes
- Subject to acculturation
Religious Subcultures
- Born-again consumers
- Islamic marketing

Advertising & Culture

In Oct 2012, representatives of Ikea apologized for removing women from some of the
photos in catalogs shipped to Saudi Arabia, and said the blame lies squarely with them, not
the local franchise. Company says airbrushing women out of pictures showcasing company’s
products goes against its values.
Age Subcultures
Place-Based Subcultures (California like surf, high-tech)
Ethics/Lifestyle (Vegan)

Press Release = form used to pass information from the sponsoring party to the media
outlet. While the style (how a topic is expressed) and content of each press release may
differ, the format (layout) remains the same with certain common elements. The elements
have been established to make reading press releases as easy as possible for editors and
producers.
Guidelines: EXAM = from point 13) onwards
1) Type copy on A4 white paper, using only one side of the page
2) Double space copy with generous margins to allow for editing and revisions. Top and
bottom margins should be around 5cm. left and right margins should be around
2.5cm.
3) Begin copy approximately one-third of the way down the page
4) Indent the first line of each paragraph 5 spaces
5) Add an extra single line space to the double space at the end of the paragraph
6) Repeat a two or three word heading at the left-hand top corner of the second and
successive pages if more than one page is needed
7) Number all pages after the first page at the upper right corner
8) Use the word “MORE” centered at the bottom of any page when copy is continued
on the next page
9) At the conclusion of the last page, use “###” centered to signify the end
10) Avoid dividing paragraphs from one page to another
11) Type the company name and address, single spaced, within the margins at the top
left-hand corner, when not using letterhead
12) If a publicity agency is involved, place the phrase “From: XXX Publicity Agency” on
one line, followed on a second line, by “For: YYY corporation” stating the firm the
agency is publicizing
13) Below the name and address, separated by a single space, list the contact person
and telephone numbers
14) At the upper right-hand corner within the margins, place the release data as “For
release: date/month/year”. While some firms use the phrase “For immediate
release”, most editors do not like this because it places the decision about when to
run the article on the editor rather than the publicist.

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 15) Center a headline, typed all in capital letters, underline, and placed approximately
one third down the page. The headline should present a comprehensive message of
the prime news interest of the story. It is not the headline the editor will use in the
publication.
16) Begin the actual copy with the lead. EXAM = lead position. The lead is one or two
sentences that summarize the news, including who, what, where, when, how. Should
an editor or new director need to edit or cut a story, the essence of the message
would still remain within the lead. Amplification fills out the rest of the story
following the lead. All information and facts presented in the amplification section
should be written in diminishing order of appearance
17) Write all the most important words on the right side of the text block. Our minds
reads from the left to the right; therefore we rapidly move our head leftward and we
remain a little bit longer on the right side before moving; when on the left side we
feel the urgence to proceed further reading so we do not pay attention to what is
written on the left side of the text block.
18) Avoid any division into syllables at the end of each line. It does not allow easy and
quick copy and paste, and it complicates reading.
19) When text blocks are quite long, few words in bold may help to pass the message
even with a very quick reading. The choice of those words has to be extremely careful
in order to concentrate the reader attention to the few most important details.
20) Always add an official quote, extremely well studied. It is the first text it will appear
on the article.

Media PR methods require a press release implementation because it is current standard

avenue for disseminating information about potential new stories to the media.
Because reporters and editors have very limited time, they prefer to receive such
information in writing, which allows them to quickly determine if it is an interesting story.

The written release offers the editor a chance to review the facts carefully and objectively,
and without the bias that a personal pitch may carry.
Because it is understood that any quotes from a company official in a press release has been
uttered or approved by that official, the reporter can easily include such quotes in the story,
thus eliminating the need for the reporter to interview that official in person. The release
becomes a crucial tool for gaining interest from the media.

How the press release is written can make a difference on whether the story gets covered.
A well written, informative, and concise release appeals to the reporter because it speaks
his language. After all, the journalist surely appreciates a professional, interesting, through
style of presenting information.

Format
Clear black type and average font size so it’s easy to read.
While it is not common, using fancy or ornate formatting, such as bold or colored type, this
can sometimes be useful to make the release stand out.
Each company typically develops its own formatting guidelines.

Additional Information

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 1) Company’s Logo: usually the release includes the logo of the company at the very
top of the release. This allows the reporter to tell in one glance which company
originated the release
2) Position of the key words on the right side: this is because the right side is the more
capturing for all right-direction reading
3) The words “press release”: this indicates that the document is an official press
release from the company. It means that it is acceptable for the media to use any of
the info in the release for their story, that the info released by the company is
accurate and true, and that all quotes included in the story are the approved
statements of the attributed sources.
4) A headline: is an extremely important part of the press release because it is the first
sentence read by the editor, and it sets the tone for the release, and should be a
strong and appealing synopsis of what the release is about. Often the editor will read
the headline only, and if it sounds interesting then he or she will read the rest of the
release. The headline should be in bold letters, be no longer than 2 lines of text, and
should include clearly what the main news is. An ideal headline should be based on
the media angle and state the benefit or the news story to the media’s audience.
5) A sub-headline: is an addition to the headline and is also a vital part of the release. It
proves additional important information about the news story that helps to entice
the editor to read further. It should be in regular or italic type, slightly larger than the
rest of the release, and should not be longer than 2 lines of text.
6) A dateline and release date: dateline is a news term describing the beginning text of
a news report that indicates where and when the story was written, traditionally
placed on the first line of the text of the article, before the first sentence, followed
by two dashes. “NEW YORK CITY, Usa, Jan.15 2011-“.
The press release can include a dateline to facilitate coverage. It can indicate where
the news is happening if it is a local story or omit the geographical reference if it is a
national story. A date is tantamount to the release date, and means that the news is
effective as of that date It helps to emphasize the fact that the release is effective
immediately by including the phrase “For Immediate Release” immediately before
the dateline.
7) The lead paragraph: is the first paragraph in a story and has to be a strong and
informative paragraph that indicates the importance of the story and stresses its
newsy nature. The lead paragraph should give an importance of the story and
include the most important facts that readers would be interested in. if we were an
editor on deadline who knew nothing about our company or collections, would we
read the rest of the release or move onto the next release? The lead paragraph must
grab our attention and show us how the story is news. It must elaborate on the way
the story affects the readers and focus on the facts that make the story newsworthy.
8) The copy/main text: is the material for the news story. It gives all the facts, quotes,
and other information about the story. Sentences should be simple and direct so
that the editor/reporter can digest them easily. Always use strong and direct verbs,
with active voice, strictly limiting adjectives and adverbs. Nouns should be specific
(never use all, everyone).
9) About paragraph: should be included at the very end of the copy and usually is
preceded by an italicized headline, “about the company’s name”

24
 10) Contact information: it provides the people that the media should contact if they
have any inquiries. It should include the contact’s first and last names, the name of
the public relations firm handling inquiries, if applicable, the company name, the
contact’s direct telephone, cellphone, email address. It can also include the
company’s address and website address.
11) Photos: in such a visual world, providing some pictures to accompany the story is
helpful in securing coverage. The company should always own the rights for pictures
provided or have an agreement with the owner of the rights to use them.

21) Detailed description of the news story

22) Quotes
23) People names and titles
24) Logistical information
25) Research information
26) All word statements of verbal DNA

27) Keep the release short, ideally 1 page (not more than 2 pages), and to the point
28) State clearly and succinctly early in the release what the news story is about
29) Answer the basic content questions: what, who, where, when, why, how
30) Include two different quotes from two sources
31) Clearly identify every source and organization mentioned
32) Fact-check and cite all information and figures
33) Include at least one press contact name and his phone number
34) Think creatively how to present the release to the media publication’s audience
35) Avoid slang or jargon that the average reader is not familiar with unless necessary

Press Kit
A collection of publicity materials delivered to the press as a single unit. Press kits are
prepared for the most important news. A press kit may contain some or all of the following
features about the product, service or event being publicized:
36) News stories and/or features written in the style of a press release
37) News photographs with captions
38) Biographies and photographs of important people
39) Company profiles
40) Brochures, USB sticks, samples, giveaways

A fact sheet is a detailed glossary of significant facts contained in the press kit. Publicity kits
are presented in graphically attractive folders, representing the theme of the product or
event, and include the business card or the publicity liaison for the firm or the publicity
agency representing the firm.
The goal of the press kit is to impress the editor to a greater degree than a single press
release or press photograph could. The overall theme and graphic design developed for the
press kit are used to reinforce the importance of the news. The key to a successful press kit
is creativity.

Lesson 5&6
The Brand DNA (EXAM)

25
Every brand has its own DNA. A brand DNA is what we all are conscious a brand is. It is a
promise to the customers that the brand cannot betray. It is the strongest driver for
communication.

Verbal DNA:
Written expression of an identity. It is the company vocabulary.
All companies use the words of this list in every press release or written contents (website,
SM, catalogues, press releases).
Verbal DNA = list of words that represent the continuative brand language, its personality,
its uniqueness, its behavior.
These words are noticeable considering product collections, communications, services and
distribution: radical, electrifying, lasting, daring, visionary, savvy, legendary, bright,
nourishing, uplifting, funny, insightful, dynamic, engaging…

Example of Brand Verbal DNA:

Apple – Endless Minimalism
For Steve Jobs, less is always more, simpler is always better.
Dior – Surrealistic Fantasy

Non-Verbal DNA:
Recurrent multisensory expressions and elements:
- Patterns: logo. LV, Gucci, McM, Fendi
- Textures
- Smells
- Colors: Ikea (blue and yellow), Five Guys (red and white), Ferragamo (red)
They represent the continuative brand language, its personality, uniqueness, behavior.

Example of Fendi: Non-Verbal DNA (logo)

FF = Fendi, fun fur EXAM
Combination of material ad personality.
Combination of verbal and non-verbal dna.

Moodboard = seasonal
Non-Verbal DNA = continuative
DNA is something eternal, does not change.

Non-Verbal Communication
Human Factors
Before being customers, marketers, communicators, we are human beings.
We are all different, with different expectations, dreams, cultures, goals.

Communication throughout Senses

5 Senses: Sight, Touch, Hearing, Taste, Smell
Sensory elements can provide a fertile and imaginative experience for consumers.

Why Communication Must Appeal to all 5 Senses

26
Retailers should use stores to create a brand experience that customers cannot get online.
Stores can engage all 5 senses. The online world only appeals to 2 senses: sight and sound.
Sensory communication = communication through the senses. Send a clear message to the
clients through sounds, scents, images. Subconscious triggers that affect how people make
purchase and consumption decisions

When advertising, the marketer is claiming that the brand is good. The consumer may feel
that the marketer is deliberately trying to influence them. Whereas if the product itself is
giving that message through sensory means, it is a much more persuasive message. It is a
subconscious message.

Sensorial Atmospheres – Components

Visual factors:
- Colors of the surrounding
- Materials
- Lights
- Layout (space, cleanness)
Sonorous factors:
- Music
- Noises
Olfactory factors:
- Natural smells
- Artificial smells
Tactile factors:
- Materials
- Temperature
Gustative factors:
- Sampling

Sight
Color = used to evoke emotion and express personality. It stimulates brand association and
accelerates differentiation. In the sequence of visual perception, the brain reads color after
it registers a shape and before it reads content. (sequence: shape, color, content).
Choosing a color for a new identity requires a core understanding of color theory, a clear
vision of how the brand needs to be perceived and differentiated, and an ability to master
consistency and meaning over a broad range of media.

- Use color to facilitate recognition and build brand equity

- Colors have different connotations in different cultures
- Color is affected by various reproduction methods
- The designer is the ultimate arbiter for setting color consistency across platforms
- Ensuring consistency across applications is frequently a challenge
- 60% of the decision to buy a product is based on color
- Color: warm, cool; values, hues; tints, shades; complementary colors, contrasting
colors

Primary Color Meanings (EXAM)

27
Primary colors are the fundamental ground of creativity for every brand that wants to be
popular, open, accessible and democratic.
Ex. combination between yellow, blue, red. Ex. Lidl, Lego.

Complementary Color Meanings

Complementary colors are perfect for logos because of their easy reading.
Ex. Fanta: orange and blue

Warm and Cool Colors

The warm and cool contrast is related to the observed contrast in landscape light.
Warm colors = daylight or sunset
Cool colors = gray or overcast day

Warm colors = yellow, orange, red, and their combinations with black and white.
These colors please the eye, enhance the appearance of the merchandise, and optically
push it to the front of the display.
Cool colors = blue and green. These colors are calming, soothing, balanced. They create the
illusion of enlarging the space/window.

Color Strategy for a Brand Repositioning

When a brand wants to reposition itself on a higher ground, also its logo should follow this
strategy.
Leaving apart the primary colors and using a shade or a tint instead, could be an effective
creativity driver.
Ex. Best Western: blue vs red logo.

Primary Colors:
- mass market & teenagers target (EXAM)
- positiveness
- easy to print
Neutral colors:
- luxury, high tech (EXAM)
- sophistication
- quality is in the detail

Color Emotional Response in the US

Blue: cool color, calming, relaxing, makes time seem to pass quickly, tends to stimulate
thought processes and encourage conversation.
Green: easy on the eyes, cool color, restful and tranquil, stimulates conversations, makes
time seem to pass quickly.
Yellow: cheerful, feeling of warmth and happiness, draws attention, boosts morale.
Orange: friendly, warm, vibrant, exhilarating.
Red: excites and stimulates, induces aggression, makes time seem to pass more slowly.
Violet & Purple: cool color, elegance, sophistication, royal
Brown: relaxing and warm
Grey: depressing, cool

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Logos and Color Meanings
Red: bold, courageous, energetic, passionate, active, creates a sense of urgency, stimulates
pituitary gland, increases heart rate.
Orange: joy, friendly, confident, warmth, extrovert, determination, impulsive.
Yellow: intellect, positivity, optimism, joy, energetic.
Black: power, prestige, timelessness, formality, elegance, value.
Green: balance, harmony, health, growth, fertility, ambition.
Blue: stability, trustworthy, wisdom, confidence, secure, knowledge, loyalty.
Purple: creative, royalty, calm, luxury, nostalgia, wealth, ambition.
White: purity, simplicity, goodness, spacious, sophistication, freshness.

Logo (abbreviation for Logotype)

A logo is a graphic mark used by brands to aid and promote instant public recognition.
Good logos have a well-structured relationship among:
- logotype
- mark
- payoff/tagline

Logotype (logo) = brand name rendered in a determined font. In the best logotypes,
letterforms may be redrawn, modified, and manipulated in order to express the appropriate
personality and positioning.
Mark = usually separated from the logotype. The mark supports the brand and offers a
visual dimension to the brand identity. Some marks have become so well-known that they
can live without the logotype.

From Brand to Logo

“A logo becomes what we put into it emotionally”.
A logo is not just a neutral market for a business, but the profound revelation of all
meanings associated with a brand.
A logo is a guide, a vision, and infinite future dreams tightly crafted around a visual
expression of the brand that inspires to be memorable.

A Logo from an Emotional Perspective

People connect with the meaning of the brand.
A logo is not forever, and even a well-known logo will fade if the meaning attached to it is
irrelevant.
Every brand needs to be built from a visual and verbal narrative to understand fully its
emotional connection with an audience.

In Greek logos = speech, discourse, a message to be shared (EXAM)

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Suffix -type = process of impression

A logo, to be easily recognizable, must present an invariable visual grammar, share the
shape of the characters, the size of the symbol and the colors used should be rigorously
defined and protected by a patent.
The fact of codifying the spelling of the name of a brand, even without accompanying visual
symbols, already constitutes a logo.

The logo is a particular way of writing the brand.

It is the heraldic shield of modern times, a combination of letters or signs, an image, an
ideogram, or a group of graphical elements.

Logo as a True Brand Icon

What we project onto a drawing or symbol is what we see in our own minds. It allows our
imagination to engage in a deeper way as our mind is stimulated. Then a true dialogue starts
to happen with a brand and with the ideas behind it.
In the debate for or against symbols, the cultural factor is critical.
Logo and Culture
There is a tendency to stop short of supporting a great logo for fear of ubiquity, pure
lassitude, or just a shortage of imagination.
The logo then becomes a static, limited expression of the brand.
The worst happens when the brand has nothing to say or has a crisis of conscience about
what it should be saying.

Mind over Matter

A logo that expresses a culture is multi-dimensional and flexible, full of life and meanings.
On the other hand, a logo that signifies a culture will not be weathered by time and does
not respond to changes. Debate:
Modernism is based on the dogmatic concept of “mind over matter”, which leads to the
rigid intellectualized version of an identity.
The post-modern approach celebrates the progress and people-driven experiences of a fluid
world.

Wordmarks (EXAM)
A wordmark is a freestanding word or words. Logotype written in letters.
The best wordmarks imbue a legible word or words with distinctive font characteristics and
may integrate unique abstract or pictorial elements.

Letterform marks/Lettering
Monograms logos = made up of the brand’s initials and its derivates.
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The single letter is frequently used by designers as a distinctive graphic mnemonic device for
a brand. The letter is always a custom and proprietary design that is infused with significant
personality and meaning.
Ex. LV, H&M, HP

Geometry and Abstraction

There are logos of a more abstract nature, where the arbitrariness of the symbol
predominates. An abstract mark uses visual form to convey the attributes of a brand. These
marks, by their nature, can provide strategic ambiguity and work effectively for large
companies with numerous and unrelated divisions.
Ex. Spotify, Twitter, Target, Instagram, YouTube

Signatures
The signature logo is a logo composed solely of the company’s name as a signature that
represents it well. There are no icons that accompany the whole thing. Also, most of the
time, the full name (first name and surname) is used and not an abbreviation or acronym of
the name. Ex. Cartier, Salvatore Ferragamo
Emblems
Emblems feature a shape connected to the name of the organization such as a heraldic
symbol. They look great on a package, as a sign, or as an embraided patch on a uniform, but
present the biggest legibility challenge when miniaturized.
Ex. BMW, Porsche emblem.

Characters
Character marks often act in advertising campaigns, and the best ones become cultural
icons cherished by brand fans. The best ones have distinctive appearance, personality, voice
and jingle, enabling them to leap off the silent.
Ex. KFC, Starbucks, Michelin

Pictorial
A pictorial mark uses a literal and recognizable image. The image may allude to the name of
the company or its mission, or it may be symbolic of a brand attitude. The simple the form,
the more difficult it is to draw it.
Ex. Apple, Shell

Animals as Allegories
Most often, the animal is an allegory for virtues that are assigned to it by convention.
Energy and speed = eagle for Armani, seagull for Hollister

Abstract Mark: PepsiCo

Mascot Logo: KFC
Combination Mark: Burger King
Emblem Logo: Harvard
Lettermark: Nasa
Pictorial Mark: Apple
Wordmark: Google

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Logos and International Marketing
Perceptions vary greatly from one country to another. Logos are much better received in
Japan than in the USA or Europe.

Difference in the LV logo.

Qualities of an Effective Logo

- The logo identifies:
A logo exists to represent and identify a company or product.
The logotype tells us what it is called.
The mark (pittogramma) offers a visual cue that aids identification.
The payoff/tagline, if there is one, adds another layer of information.

- The logo differentiates:

A logo should create visual separation from other brands in the sector. Perceptions are built
incrementally and a logo that takes a different direction from the competition will
contribute to the distinctiveness of a brand image.
- The logo works as a shortcut:
A distinctive logo is memorable. Being noticed and remembered is the first step a business
must take. The logo provides a shortcut that helps people recall a company or product at a
glance.
- The logo does not overdo:
Your logo is not your brand. It is not a miniature portrait of your business. So don’t expect it
to communicate everything about what you do.
Ex. HP: logos nowadays have the tendency to be more minimal.
- Logos evolve over time:
Every new iteration can be anything from a very subtle refresh or a more radical direction,
often reflecting important changes within the company.

Touch
Tactile sense is the most essential of the five senses, and also the most immediate.
While most senses inform us of the world, it is most often touch that enables us to
ultimately possess the world, to wrap our consciousness around it.
Ex. Apple Touch Line: touch made people much more engaged with the product, they
wanted to touch it, interact with it, and felt closer to it. Ipod Touch is discontinued now, but
actually all Apple products are touch.

Sound
Music is a particularly effective approach because it circumvents the rational mind and
petitions directly to the emotional mind in which desire-drive shoppers revel. By playing
music while previewing products, subjects overwhelmingly choose products accompanied
by the music they liked. Ex. Diesel DJ set or Hollister, Abercrombie in-store music.

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“The longer you stay, the more likely you buy” and music makes you stay longer.

Smell
Smell is one of our best developed senses. We are able to distinguish some 10.000 scent
combinations and memories triggered by scent retrieval cues are rated as more emotional.
Researchers reveal that our sense of smell is widely considered by scholars to be our most
emotional sense.

Taste
Some retailers offer their clients sweets at the cashier. Other more exclusive boutiques like
Tiffany await their shoppers with a glass of champagne to make the shopping experience
more pleasurable.

Different Store Behaviors

Customers prefer the use of a smartphone to any other form of assistance in store,
especially in relation to consulting prices, obtaining product information, checking stock
availability. Customers love to be independent.

The Product Ecosystem

Cluster of the different product classes related to a specific brand

Product Placement
- TV Shows
- Radio Talk Shows
- Movies, series (TV, Cinema)

The product placement strategy needs to follow few simple rules:

1) Alignment between container and content
2) Simplification of the brand DNA elements
3) Surprise effect
4) The product has to be visible (it is not important to be noticed but to be
remembered)

Guerilla Marketing
Relatively new marketing strategy that relies on unconventional, often low-cost tactics to
create awareness of and goodwill toward a brand, product, service, or company.
Guerilla marketing comes from Jay Conrad Levinson (1984), book “Guerilla Advertising”.
Though “guerilla” has military connotations (word means “little war”), guerilla promotion
strategies often combine elements of wit, humor, spectacle to capture people’s attention
and engage them in the marketing act. Guerilla marketing is memorable.
Guerilla marketing is also called: disruptive, anti-establishment, newsworthy, a state or
mind.
By its nature, guerilla marketing defies precise description.

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Creativity = a quality manifested in individuals that enables them to generate clever or
imaginative approaches or new solutions to problems.
Behind each communication there is a creative strategy, a plan for determining what the
message will say, set of creative tactics, steps for implementing the message strategy.

Guerilla Marketing is:

- Imaginative, surprising, anti-establishment
- Does not resemble a traditional marketing initiative, like straightforward print or TV
advertising campaign
- Uses combinations of different marketing communications tactics, in creative ways
- Is experiential and very physical, drawing in the target audience to participate
- Takes risks in what it aspires to accomplish
- Is not 100% approved by the establishment (the city, event planners…)
- Temporary. After a short while it loses its provocatory meaning

Guerilla marketing approach focuses on 2 goals:

1) Get media attention
2) Make a positive and memorable connection with your target audience
Many noteworthy guerilla campaigns focus on creating an experience that embodies the
spirit of the brand. Often these projects invite people who encounter the campaign to
become co-conspirators in achieving the campaign’s vision and reach.

Guerilla marketing can be much cheaper than a traditional marketing and advertising
campaign.

Storytelling
A brand needs a stage, a character, a public, and of course, something to say.
A brand may be more or less interesting, up to how much its storytelling is capturing.
Many companies might have a heritage, but they do not know yet. Many others decide to
invent it, or they find inspiration elsewhere. A few others think they do not need it, and so
they die.
Storytelling comes first, brand comes second.

Internal and External Storytelling

Internal storytelling = when the storytelling contents are taken from the brand inner and
deeper nature, such as product collection, history and heritage, culture.
External storytelling = when the storytelling contents are completely imaginative.

Storytelling Ingredients
Every story is made by a combination of elements. The plot, characters, public.
The story booklet needs to consider at least two layers of consistency:
- Verbal DNA: brand, product, service language. Words identify uniqueness and build
up the story impact
- Non-Verbal DNA: symbols, colors, patterns, textures, geometry, logos (brand image)
Genius Loci Dimension – Art-Efact Creation

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How the international marketing creativity is effectively translated onto meaningful
communication artefacts.
Products, communications, retail spaces and their expression of local spirit.

Genius Loci
Is not only a tutelary or protective spirit and a “spirit of becoming”, not only a “spirit of
development”, but precisely also a “spirit of images”.
The more a company looks inside itself, studies its roots, probing and strengthening its very
self, the closer it gets to its own deep-lying roots, expressing its own Genius Loci.
Genius Loci = Latin expression that indicates the talent or spirit (genius) of the place (loci)
and its unique and distinctive nature, the factor that gives it its identity.

We can talk about Genius Loci if and only if the building is totally new, built from scratch,
intentionally designed with a profound connection with the city where it will be located.
A store within an existing building, designed by somebody else not specifically connected
with the brand DNA, cannot be referenced as Genius Loci.

Genius Loci
A stable and always recurrent connection between each brand (product, communication,
visual and merchandising, service…) and the specific city of origin, like if each brand
somehow embodies the specific identity of the city where it is located.

An always different connection between each brand and the different cities where that
brand wants to open a monobrand store, in order to create a strong engagement with the
specific local culture that quite often loves to perceive the brand makes something
customized, just for that city specifically.

These two strategies can be simultaneous or alternatives.

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